Methodist Bishop urges innovation, creativity among Ghanaians

The Methodist Bishop of Sunyani, Right Reverend Kofi Asare Bediako has urged Ghanaians to be innovative and creative for the progress of the country.

Bishop Bediako in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday in Sunyani noted that lack of innovation and creativity among the populace was hampering the socio-economic development of the country.

He bemoaned  “the nation can make headway if we are innovative in our everyday lives or day to day activities but unfortunately there are certain things our forefathers were doing 100 years ago which we are still doing”.

Rt Rev Bediako, who is also  a Development Planner cited that in the average and ordinary Ghanaian homes, brooms, in a bending posture had been used to sweep since many years now, saying  that its negative impact on most Ghanaian women with waist and lower back health problems.

He said the dust inhaled as they swept also had a effect that could cause chest infection, adding that, by sweeping the same place everyday it could cause erosion, hence the buildings in most Ghanaian communities and villages were literally hanging from the effects of erosion.

“Is it possible we can attach the brooms to long sticks, so that we avoid the bending and inhaling of dust, we can resort to planting green grass around our homes, is it possible that in 2014 a whole town or village would decide to change their ways of life by greening their compounds and environment through three planting?”, he asked.

This, the Bishop said could help to prevent the devastating effects of strong winds and rainstorms during the period of early rains whereby roofs of houses and school buildings were ripped off in most rural communities in the country.

Rt Rev Bediako suggested the need to separate plastic waste and other inorganic matter from the organic matter so that compost manure could be derived for backyard gardening and other purposes, lamenting that “we are not doing these things as a nation because of our attitude of resistance to change, hiding behind the saying that tradition is sacrosanct”.

He therefore urged  “Ghanaians to examine our  lives if we cannot add a bit of technology or modernize our way of doing things”, citing that the age-long crude method of using mortar and pestle in pounding ‘fufu’ have had so much effects on our lives.

Rt Rev Bediako noted it would be advantageous for the nation during a season of bumper harvest of plantain, cassava and other tuber crops so that they could be processed into powdered form for preservation.

Bishop Bediako said in the lean season in May-July when there could be shortage of such food items there would be alternative to minimize the impact of scarcity of such food stuffs, noting that society was now contending with sweat-related deceases.

Source: GNA